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Bulldog

I have a big apology to make to some guy. I assumed he wrote a post referring to SonicMan; looking at it again, it's clear that he was referring to the original poster. As a result of my lack of focus, I made assumptions about some guy's intent and motivation that were entirely out of line.

some guy:

I'm very sorry. If you're ever in Albuquerque, please look me up; I'd like to buy you a dinner.

I have a big apology to make to some guy. I assumed he wrote a post referring to SonicMan; looking at it again, it's clear that he was referring to the original poster. As a result of my lack of focus, I made assumptions about some guy's intent and motivation that were entirely out of line.

some guy: I'm very sorry. If you're ever in Albuquerque, please look me up; I'd like to buy you a dinner.

Good evening Don - I saw that post and assumed that the reference was to the OP and not me, so no worry from my part; but OTOH, your comments may have been appropriate, i.e. the response was rather insulting to the OP and whether one off the 'top of their head' could just type in all of those obscure women composers was dubious to me. If 'Some Guy' shows up for your offer, I would suggest Taco Bell! Dave

Bulldog

Good evening Don - I saw that post and assumed that the reference was to the OP and not me, so no worry from my part; but OTOH, your comments may have been appropriate, i.e. the response was rather insulting to the OP and whether one off the 'top of their head' could just type in all of those obscure women composers was dubious to me. If 'Some Guy' shows up for your offer, I would suggest Taco Bell! Dave

I think that some guy is heavily into contemporary music, so I'm not surprised that he could list many obscure modern composers. The man knows what's going on within his preferred area. As for a meal at Taco Bell, both you and some guy deserve better.

SonicMan, those women are most certainly not obscure. Well, OK, some of them are. But they shouldn't be, that's my point!

And I did list all of them from right off the top of my head, but forgetting the one I had just met in Vilnius last October, Gráinne Mulvey. Wow, that's some high-powered orchestral music there. And such a great person, too. So regardless, I am filled with shame.

Anyway, for your churlish suspicions, I invite you to dinner with Bulldog and me. My treat. If we're ever all three in Albuquerque at the same time, anyway. But you must be sheepish. Fair's fair!

I have not seen Chen Yi listed. Some of her music is very dense and dissonant, quite a tough nut to crack. Other works are influenced by Chinese and other Asian traditions. Her "Si Ji" (Four Seasons) is colorful and approachable, even for a quite complex work. Alas, I do not think it has been recorded.

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Until I get my coffee in the morning I'm a fit companion only for a sore-toothed tiger." ~Joan Crawford

Ruth Crawford Seeger's String Quartet is absolutely worth hearing, and can be found on this excellent Arditti recording with quartets by Beethoven, Nancarrow, Roger Reynolds and Xenakis. And this recording by John Eliot Gardiner has some of Lili Boulanger's choral works, which are gorgeous.

Depends what you're looking for. For the harp, no male composer surpassed Henriette Renié.She's the Goddess who pushed expressive harp music to new boundaries.

As with any women-related issues, to this day, you'll find at least two distinct avenues to explore: those who endeavored to do as well as their male counterparts and those who sought to generate an entirely different, female, aesthetic.

Lili Boulanger died too young to fulfill her promise. She did leave a number of extraordinary compositions. Her Pie Jesu was composed just before her death at the age of 25.[mp3=200,20,0,center]http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/11/2/1559968/Pie%20Jesu.mp3[/mp3]

Two composers I haven't yet heard are Alice Mary Smith (2 symphonies) and the Swede, Elfrida Andrée. One I would like to hear more of is Emilie Mayer ( four symphonies at least).It is true that unknown female composers are not necessarily good but in the past their quality has never been judged, which is why there is much to discover of value. Some of these composers persevered against all the odds even though the chances of their music being heard by a wide audience were practically non-existent. There were no CDs even one hundred years ago.

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A day may be a destiny; for life Lives in but little—but that little teems With some one chance, the balance of all time: A look—a word—and we are wholly changed.

Not yet mentioned: the Russo-Estonian composer Galina Grigorjeva (b. 1962). I just listened to her choral work On Leaving, from the Baltic Voices 2 album. It's an extraordinary piece, very deep and meditative (depicting "the separation of the soul from the body" and based on Orthodox religious texts). Unfortunately it seems little of her work has been recorded - I would like to hear more.